1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fertilizer compositions and, more particularly, to a dry, water dispersible tablet containing a fertilizer, a herbicide and a binding agent wherein the tablet is structured to disintegrate when subjected to a stream of water so that the composition is released into the water stream at a predetermined rate and concentration.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lawns, plants, botanicals and other plant life require watering, fertilizing and treatment with herbicides and pesticides on a regular scheduled regime in order to maintain health and promote growth. Typically, watering, fertilizing and herbicide treatment are performed as two or three separate operations. In some instances, spray devices may be used on a garden hose to simultaneously water and fertilize plants and flowers, or to apply a diluted herbicide or pesticide solution. During this application method, which is normally performed manually, the applied solution is quickly dispersed at uneven levels of distribution. Subsequent fertilization or weed control treatment is often neglected, as this application process is time-consuming and expensive.
Small fertilizer pellets for slow release in the soil, near the base of a plant, are well known and widely used in the related field. However, pellets of this type do not provide herbicides for lawns, shrubs and botanicals. While liquid "weed and feed" compositions are known and used in spray applicators, they disperse quickly, consuming large amounts of chemicals with each application. Furthermore, use of such spray applicators often results in uneven distribution of chemicals, with higher levels of fertilizer and herbicides in some areas than others, causing the roots of plants and lawns to be burned and damaged. It is, therefore, expensive, time-consuming and potentially hazardous to perform regular weed control treatment of lawns, plants, and botanicals using the present application methods and compositions.
In spite of the numerous fertilizer products presently available on the market, there still exists a need for a fertilizer composition containing a herbicide which can be released slowly, at a controlled rate, into a stream of flowing water so that lawns, plants and botanicals can be simultaneously watered, fed with fertilizer, and treated for weeds during regular watering operations.